Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-05-21

~ s10S14DS-
SOMEBODY WAS FIRING AT HIM.
so, jumping up from his crouching position,
he tossed his arms into the air and sprang
and shouted in a way that left no mistake as
to his whereabouts. In another minute he
saw a man on horseback, cantering easily
toward him, i'll whom he had little difficulty
in recognizing as Frank Muller He went
and picked up his hat; there was bullethoie
right through it, Then, full Of wrath, he ad
vanced to meet Frank Muller.
"What the - did You mean by. firing at
mep he asked
"Allemachter, Carlel" almighty, my dear
fellow was the cool answer, Il thought that
you were a vilderheeste calf | galloped the
COW and killed her, and she had calf with
her, and when got the cartridges out of my
rife-tor one stuck and took me some time
and the new ones in | looked up, and there,
as thought, was the calf So got my rifle
on and let drive, first with one tarrel and
then with the other aud when | saw you
jump up like that and shout, and that had
been firing at man. nearly tainted. Thank
the Almighty | did not hit YOU"
John listened coldly. Il suppose that am
bound to believe you, Meinheer Muller be
said. But | have been told that you have
the most wonderful sight of any man in these
| parts. which makes it odd that at 800 yards
you should mistake a man upon his hands and
knees for vild.rbeeste calf"
"Does the captain think, then, that wished
| TO murder INN; especially lie added, after
took his hand tins morning"
81 don't know what | think answered
| John. looking straight into Muiler's eyes.
| which fell before his own. All know Is
| that your curious mistake very nearly cost
| me my life. Look here" and he took a lock
of his brown halr out of the crown If his per
| forated hat and showed it to the other
"Ay. 1t was very close Let Us thank God
| that You escaped.
| at could not well have been closer, mein
heer. l hope that, both for Your own slLe
and for the sake of the people who 20 out
shooting with You, you viii rot make such a
mistake again Good morning.
The handsome Boer, or Anglo Bocr, sat on
his horse str,kng his beautiful heard ana
gazing ouriously after John Nicl's sturdy
English looking figure as he marched toward
the cart ior, of course the wounded wilder
beeste had long ago vanished.
| q wonder, he said to himself aloud, as he
| turned his horses head and rode leiSurelv
away, iii the Old volk are right after all. and
if there is God" Frank Muller was suffi-
| GENTLY impregnated with modern ideas to i,e
a free thinkerl at almost seems like it, he
went on, ''else how did 1t come that the one
| bullet passed under his belly and the other
! just touched his head without harming himi
| aimed carefully enough, too, and could
make the shot nineteen times out of twenty
| and not miss. Bah, God! | snap my
| fingers at him. Chance is the only god.
Chance blows en- about like the dead grass
till death comes down like the vedt fire and
| burns them up. But there are men who ride
| chance az one rides Young colt-ay. vino
| turn its headlong rushing and rearing to iheiI
| own ends-who let it fly lither and thitheI
| till it is weary. and then Cauter it along the
road that leads to triumph. l. Frank Mul
len, am one of those men. | never fan III TIT
end Twill Kill that Englishman Perhaps
will Kill old SiIas Croft and the Hottentot
too. Bah. they do not know what is coming
know; have helped to lay the mine: AMI
unless they bend to my will shall be the on,
to fire it | will kill them all and will TAX,
Mooifontein, aud then | will marry Bessie
Put W III iirHt sidIilSi bub tlldb W III Hldkt
it all the sweeter. She loves that rooibaatie
| know it, and will kiss her over his dead
body. Ali there are the carts | don't Sc,
the captain. Driven home, suppose, on &C
count of the shock to his nerves Well,
| must talk to those fools Lord, what fool
they are with their talk about the land ant
the 'verdomde Britische government The,
don't know what is good for them Sill
sheep, with Frank Muller for a shepherd
Ay, and they shall have Frank Muller for
president one day, and l viii rule them, too
BAH / hate the English, hut am glad tha
| am half English for all that for that i
where | get the brains! But these people
fools, fools Wei, shall pipe and they shall
dancer
"Baas," said jamie to John, as they were
driving homenard, "Baas Frank shot at YOU
"How do you know that" asked john.
81 saw him He was stalking the wounded
bull. and not looking for a calf at all, There
was no calf He was just going to fire at the
wounded bull when he turned and saw You,
and he knelt down and covered you, and lie.
fore could do anything he fired, and then
when he saw that he had missed you he fired
again. and don't know how 1t was he didn't
kill you. for he is a wonderful shot with g
rifle-he never misses.
Il will have the man tried for attempted
murder" said John, bringing the butt end
of his rifle down with bang on to the bot
tom of the cart "A villain like that shall
not SO scot free
Jantle grinned.
at is no use, baas. He would get OFF, for
am the only witness. \ jury won't believe {
black man in this country, and they woulf
) never punish a Boer for shooting at an Eng
lishman. No, baas, you should lie up on
day in the seldt where be is going TO PAS
and shoot him. That is what | would do if
dared"
| To h..